More about project

Afro Indy Dandy

2018 Category Winner
Fine Art - Photography

More about judge

Why did this work win?
Aimee Le Duc

More about Alena

Alena Gelen

Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, South Africa

More about Winner experience

Why did this work win?

It's both extremely contemporary, and also referencing important historical points...

Judge Aimee Le Duc

About the work

"Afro Indy Dandy" is a creative collaboration with fashion designer Hunter Blue that tells a tale of romantic love and gentle masculinity. Gender-fluid beings express themselves as wearable art, allowing their emotions to flow like music through their dress. Gelen evokes poetry in her images and joins cultures via textiles and florals, creating a rich visual tapestry.

Afro Indy Dandy

Country
South Africa

Gelen says she owes "such a high level of sophistication in every detail to the amazing people I worked with," including her makeup artist, florist, and set designer. The individual images in "Afro Indy Dandy" are more than photographs: they are painted together, combining stylistic elements that reflect the collaborators' mediums and broader cultural influence.

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Each scene comes to life under lighting techniques that expertly imitate the glow of Renaissance oil paintings.

Making of

Alena interview

with host Kristine Arthadobe live

About alena

Russian-born in Kazakhstan, Alena Gelen studied Intercultural Communication for 5 years at the Novosibirsk State University in Siberia before deciding to change course and become a photographer. Inspired to pursue a creative career after studying abroad at London College of Fashion, she's now majoring in Visual Communication at Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in South Africa.

Gelen calls her Adobe Design Achievement Award "the best reward I could ever dream about. True creativity is when you can create a masterpiece with great passion and minimal resources. Never wait for the perfect moment; the reality is that even if you are given a million dollars and a high-end production crew, something will always be not right. So, start doing it NOW, with what you have, or forget it."

Winner Experienceat Adobe MAX

True creativity is when you can create a masterpiece with great passion and minimal resources.